Medical Hall of Fame inducts Fox

The Port Coquitlam hero who launched a global movement to raise money for cancer research will be inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame, it was announced today (Wednesday).

Terry Fox is one of seven Canadians to be named to the 2012 Canadian Medical Hall of Fame — the only hall of fame in the world dedicated to recognizing medical heroes.

Fox’s father and brother, Rolly and Darrell Fox, are expected to accept the honour at a ceremony in Toronto on March 21.

To date, the Terry Fox Foundation, a non-profit charity based in Chilliwack, has collected more than half a billion dollars for cancer research programs around the world. The campaign started in 1980 when Fox ran a marathon a day for 143 consecutive days across Canada — on one leg — for his Marathon of Hope. He died the following year, never finishing his journey.

“These individuals have truly made a difference in the lives of Canadians, and indeed, people around the world. They have blazed trails, inspired others to follow and extended the boundaries of medical knowledge and health care,” Dr. Cecil Rorabeck, board chair of the Hall of Fame, said in a news release. “We are in their debt, and we honour them for their great service to humankind.”

Since 1994, the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame has inducted 88 laureates.